Metairie, LA - Last month, the US Senate approved a massive federal package, but sadly no additional money was earmarked for the hurricane relief funds the hard-hit Lake Charles residents were hoping for. Up to the last minute, senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy tried to include $2.5 billion in disaster relief for southwest Louisiana, a region that is still reeling from Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta which devastated the Lake Charles area in 2020. The Senate’s refusal to allocate more funds for Louisiana prompted angered reactions from state representatives. “You’re treating people of other countries better than we're treating our own. I want to be clear: I'm not necessarily saying that with Ukraine. We're not under missile attack right now. But for some of these other countries, that’s exactly what's happening,” Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, said.“In 2020, Hurricane Laura hit Louisiana, then Hurricane Marco hit us, then Hurricane Delta hit us, then Hurricane Zeta, then Hurricane Ida – all in a period of two years. Those storms caused $150 billion in damage,” Sen.John Kennedy added. The $1.5 trillion package is meant to fund the government through September, and local representatives were hoping that would include relief funds for the natural disasters of 2020, as well as for Hurricane Ida which hit Louisiana last August. As far as the damage caused by Hurricane Ida, there’s at least a chance additional relief funds may be secured later this year. What to do if your insurance claim is denied?As Sen.Cassidy remarked: “If you fly over southwest Louisiana, you see blue tarps. Those tarps are there because the families have not had the money to replace their roofs. If you get on the ground, you see blighted neighborhoods.”For most Lake Charles residents, their only hope remains to get some money from the insurance company, but with so many disasters hitting the state over the past two years their chances are slim. Even at the best of times, insurance companies balk at the idea of paying large claims. Over the past two years, many southwest Louisiana residents have complained of having trouble getting the compensation they are entitled to. The only thing you can do in such a case is to contact a seasoned Metairie insurance claims lawyer.

Claim denial letter; image by Jay W. Belle Isle.

According to the law, under normal circumstances, an insurer must start investigating your claim within 14 days of receiving your notification. However, in the case of a catastrophic loss, such as those caused by Hurricane Ida or Laura, the insurance company can extend that time to 60 days. If the insurance company hasn’t even sent an expert round to assess damages within those 60 days, you should get in touch with a Louisiana insurance claims lawyer and have them talk to the insurer directly. The same applies if the insurance adjuster is trying to lowball you and the settlement they offer is far less than what you really need.Or, if the insurance company rejects your claim a seasoned insurance claims attorney can help you file an appeal. Many people don’t know that, but if you get a denial letter, that is not final. You have the right to appeal the decision and the insurer is required by law to hear it. Your lawyers can present new evidence or additional documents to support your claim. If you have an experienced lawyer doing the talking for you, you have a much better chance of getting fair compensation. In most cases, insurance companies prefer to settle rather than run the risk of being accused of bad faith and facing a lawsuit.If you still haven’t got the money you are entitled to for the damages caused by the spate of hurricanes that devastated Louisiana over the past two years, you should reach out to a reliable insurance claims lawyer at the  Houghtaling Law Firm, LLC in Metairie. Just schedule a free consultation and they will take care of your problem.